1. Field of Endeavor
The present invention relates to electronics and more particularly to metalization in integrated microsystems.
2. State of Technology
U.S. Pat. No. 5,817,550 for a method for formation of thin film transistors on plastic substrates to Paul G. Carey, Patrick M. Smith, Thomas W. Sigmon, and Randy C. Aceves, issued Oct. 6, 1998 and assigned to Regents of the University of California provides the following state of technology information, “Recently a process was developed for crystallizing and doping amorphous silicon on a low cost, so-called low-temperature plastic substrate using a short pulsed high energy source in a selected environment, without heat propagation and build-up in the substrate so as to enable use of plastic substrates incapable of withstanding sustained processing temperatures higher than about 180 degree C. Such a process is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,850 issued Sep. 13, 1994 to J. L. Kaschmitter et al., assigned to the Assignee of the instant application. Also, recent efforts to utilize less expensive and lower temperature substrates have been carried out wherein the devices were formed using conventional temperatures on a sacrificial substrate and then transferred to another substrate, with the sacrificial substrate thereafter removed. Such approaches are described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,481 issued Mar. 7, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,231 issued Mar. 21, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,276 issued May 9, 1995, each issued to A. McCarthy and assigned to the assignee of the instant application.”
U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0097166 by Peter Krulevitch, Dennis L. Polla, Mariam Maghribi, and Julie Hamilton, for a flexible electrode array for artificial vision, published May 22, 2003, provides the following state of the technology information, “The system uses a substrate with embedded electrodes and conductive leads for directly stimulating cells. The electrode array system can conform to various shapes. The electrode array has many uses. For example the electrode array system of the present invention provides an artificial vision system. The electrode array system of the present invention can provide an electrode array that is implantable and can be used for surgical insertion. Also, the electrode array system of the present invention can provide an electrode array that can be attached to the surface of the skin. The electrode array system of the present invention can provide an electrode array that can be used in other ways. Other applications of the electrode array system of the present invention include use of the electrode array as a flex circuit.”